Yes, there are still free agents out there and teams still have slots to fill. But most of the big names are gone, and most of the contenders are done reloading, retooling or rebuilding for the 2014-15 season. With that in mind, here is another edition of the Three-Man Weave, looking specifically at the balance of power in the Eastern Conference and how it has shifted. 1. Which team is the favorite in the Eastern Conference? [Read more…]
We are about to witness what may be a first in the long history of the NBA. For the first time, four of the league’s flagship franchises could well be out of the playoffs. OK, the Knicks aren’t technically out of the race in the Hindenburg Conference, but they have a lot of ground to make up on Atlanta – four games in the loss column with 13 to play. The Celtics, Lakers and 76ers all are making plans for the
If the Boston Celtics are actually tanking, they are doing a really bad job of it. The Celtics played three very different kinds of basketball games over the previous five days – I was at two of them – that showed a lot about the way this team is operating. And giving away wins for ping-pong balls isn’t part of the plan. On Friday, Boston scored the first 14 points against Denver and led 39-15 after the first quarter. The Celtics nearly gave
The deadline for teams to sign players from the draft class of 2010 to extensions came and went at the stroke of midnight ET on Nov. 1. Those who did not get extensions will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Six players received extensions, with three of them getting done during the offseason. Two more were completed during training camp and the last one was executed Thursday in Memphis, just hours before the deadline. Meanwhile, three other rumored extensions did not get
We’re still in the first week of the season, but a few things are already clear: Michael Carter-Williams can play, the Warriors are fun to watch, and the Clippers you know and love are still the Clippers you know and love. As long as you only started watching them when Chris Paul showed up. [Read more…]
Some of the teams around the league had tough decisions to make on Thursday with the talented but unproven players they have on their rosters. With the deadline approaching for rookie extensions, do you pay big money knowing those players could hit the market and sign huge offer sheets? Or do you let the season play out and hope that they don’t exceed your expectations? With Eric Bledsoe and Gordon Hayward, their respective teams have decided to take a risk. STORY
Friday, October 25 Daily Trivia: Which team did LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers face in his rookie debut? Answer below. Suns and Wizards pull of multi-player trade Posted at 08:49 PM ET Emeka Okafor and a top-12 protected 2014 first-round pick from the Washington Wizards are being dealt to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for center Marcin Gortat and guards Shannon Brown, Kendall Marshall and Malcolm Lee, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. If the Wizards miss the playoffs and finish worse than 12th in
The season is a little over a week from starting, but it’s never too early to start thinking about the draft, at least if you’re a Sixers fan. Or a Canadian who can’t wait for the dominance that Andrew Wiggins will surely bring on the international scene. Wiggins, of course, is #1 on our first (very early) mock draft. The real fun comes with #2, or maybe #3. Suns, Kings, Celtics fans: get to know these names. It’s never too early. Now